


Hugs

by Saereneth



Series: Recovery isn't Easy [4]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Comfort, Depression, Friendship, Gen, Hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 08:04:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2302520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saereneth/pseuds/Saereneth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set a little bit after the Blues adopt Washington. We don’t know if they actually made it back to Valhalla, but they did call it “home,” so I will take it and run with it.</p>
<p>”.. .he was still enjoying the quiet when it hit him all of a sudden. He wasn’t just away from the Blues, he was alone.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hugs

Wash had been cooling his heels with the Blues in Valhalla long enough that he wasn’t remotely prepared for the panic attack. It was in between “battles” that it hit him. Caboose had gotten himself lost patrolling, again, so he and Tucker had gone looking for him. They’d gotten far enough apart that Wash could no longer hear Tucker cursing Caboose, Wash, the Reds, and all of their respective mothers. Wash was honestly thankful for the quiet; he rarely ever got to be alone since becoming the Blue leader.

Half an hour later, he was still enjoying the quiet when it hit him all of a sudden. He wasn’t just away from the Blues, he was alone.

He was alone.

Even as shadows of the people they’d been in Freelancer, Tex and the Meta had still known him, had tied him to his past. Now they were were gone, along with everyone else from the Project.

CT before they’d ever known how bad things could get. Carolina thrown over a cliff. York, killed by Wyoming then destroyed by Wash’s own hands. North had died at the hands of the Meta, who Wash had helped kill, with assistance from his own sister whom Wash had killed directly. Florida and Wyoming both died in Blood Gulch, and he’s sure they would have hated to learned they’d been killed by idiots.

They were all gone.

He was on the ground before he knew what had happened. His breath was coming in short gasps and he could feel himself getting lightheaded. The thud his helmet made as it hit the ground barely registered as he was overcome by memories of how his friends--his family had died.

It was anyone’s guess how long he stayed there hunched over his knees in the grass before Caboose found him. The hand on his shoulder made him instinctively grab the Blue and throw him to the ground. It was watching the uncoordinated crash Caboose made into the grass that reminded him that the other soldier wasn’t any kind of threat.

“I’m sorry Caboose,” he said immediately, standing to check that the idiot hadn’t hurt himself. Caboose seemed fine though, gripping Wash’s hand and hauling himself to his feet easily.

“It’s okay Agent Washington, I do not mind. Are you better?”

Wash didn’t follow, which wasn’t unusual where Caboose was concerned. “Better how, Caboose?”

The Blue shifted on his feet, making an aborted move towards Washington that the Freelancer wasn’t sure how to interpret. “You were on the ground, and I thought you were hurt, but you are still really strong, so you must be okay?”

Ah, right. Caboose must have seen him lose it earlier. Hopefully he hadn’t seen too much; he still wasn’t sure why they let him be here, and he didn’t want to give the sim soldiers any more reason to hate him. 

“I’m fine Caboose, I just needed to catch my breath,” he lied. The other man wasn’t known for being observant, hopefully he would just leave it.

Caboose stared at him for a few minutes, the sun reflecting off his visor. Suddenly he was moving again, arms coming up and wrapping around Wash’s shoulders. All Wash could do was stand completely still, wondering what the hell was happening.

The hand on his back rubbed in firm circles. “It is okay to be sad, Agent Washington. We all are sad sometimes.” 

Wash blinked rapidly, completely out of his depth. What should he say? Should he hug back?

When was the last time he’d been hugged?

“You don’t have to say anything, Agent Washington. Just be sad until you are done, and then don’t be sad anymore.” Caboose said it like it was just that simple, and to him, maybe it was. Wash let himself relax a little in the crushing embrace of the simulation soldier, closing his eyes for a moment.

He doubted either of them would be able to stand there until he was “done” being sad.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be done.


End file.
